Olympic cauldron extinguished, relocated

LONDON (AFP) –

People gather around the Olympic Flame after the cauldron in the Olympic Stadium is lit during the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games, on July 27. The cauldron has been extinguished while it is relocated to another part of the stadium, AFP confirmed on Monday.

The elaborate cauldron lit at the London Olympics opening ceremony has been extinguished while it is relocated to another part of the stadium, AFP confirmed on Monday.

The Olympic cauldron — which traditionally burns for the entirety of each Games — was seen unlit within the Olympic Stadium at 11.14pm (2214 GMT) late Sunday.

Jackie Brock-Doyle, director of communications for the London Olympics organisers confirmed to AFP the cauldron had been put out in order to allow it to be moved to a different part of the venue.

“The cauldron has been put out while we move it to another part of the stadium,” Brock-Doyle told AFP.

The Olympic flame — a symbol of the Olympic Games movement — would be kept burning in a lantern used during the torch relay until the cauldron was relit later on Monday, she added.

The cauldron was positioned in the centre of the Olympic Stadium before being lit by seven young athletes in the climax to last Friday’s opening ceremony.

The position of the cauldron — and the fact that the flame will not be visible from outside the stadium even after it is repositioned — has attracted criticism.

At most past Olympics, the burning cauldron has been clearly visible from the outside of the main stadium.